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My name is Chloe Caldwell and you're listening to Storybound.

Welcome to Storybound. Welcome to Storybound, presented by Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate.

I'm your host, Jude Brewer.

In just a minute, you will hear a story from Chloe Caldwell, with an original score by Tony Curaldo. And if you stick around until after the credits, well, you'll get to hear some behind the scenes and thoughts on the season so far and whatever, you know,

comes out on my mind. So see you soon. You'll be okay, my friend Eliza said when I got my period on the evening of December 15th.

We were leaving for New York City that night, and I was nervous about how my cramps and mood

swings would put a damper on the next day's activities, which included a big trip to the Museum

of Natural History that I'd planned with my partner, Tony, and his seven-year-old daughter,

Willa.

Probably not, I responded as I packed the Advil and THC salve into my bag in Hudson.

I knew how I could seem absolutely fine one moment, only to have an out-of-control pre-menstrual

dysphoric disorder meltdown come on. But I was hopeful, since the PMDD episodes usually came

pre-bleeding, and, though I had experienced some

major irritability, I hadn't had what I'd call an outburst. Maybe I'd gotten out of December

Scott Free. Could I be so lucky? The next morning, I'd woken up so excited. The four of us, Tony, Willa, Eliza, and me ate breakfast

at the Waverly diner, which was lovely, and I was relieved at how normal I was feeling. Then,

outside the diner, walking to the subway, Tony told me his way to get to the Museum of Natural History was faster

than what I had suggested.

I felt the physical PMDD symptoms kick in hard and fast.

Tony describes it as a black cloak dropping over my entire body.

He calls it the female incredible Hulk. In a millisecond, my body is prickling

...